In August the Hive Ecosystems team hosted an event focusing on quantifying the carbon credits (for accreditation purposes) across the thicket biome of South Africa. At Hive, we are working on carbon sequestration in the country, as part of our project to restore degraded land across 1.4 million hectares of Albany Thicket. The project is already taking shape and as such, the team are working closely with other landowners involved with thicket restoration to ensure a high standard is being maintained for carbon credits across the region.
Hive’s Project
Hive Ecosystems, part of the Hive Group, is based in South Africa. The team are working on a land restoration, reforestation with thicket plant species, and carbon sequestration project on the Hive farm. The project site is over 18,000-acre (7,306ha) and is located near Somerset East in the Eastern Cape.
The aim for the project is to plant around 9 million spekboom plants (and other thicket plant species) over the next three years to restore land that has previously been degraded by overgrazing with livestock and introduced game. The first of the extralimital game (species not naturally found within a given geographical area) was removed during September.
In the sequestration process, the hardy plants will absorb and accumulate carbon which can later be redeemed as carbon credits. Carbon credits are a measurable, verifiable method of emission reduction. The credits can only be developed and redeemed through certified climate action projects and are to be used as a method of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The Local Carbon Credits Event
In August, Hive Ecosystems hosted industry experts at the site. Visitors included key stakeholders from game farms, wildlife reserves, commercial farms, industry consultancies, NGO’s, service providers and equipment suppliers. The group met for a two-day workshop aimed to align their thinking and practices in the nascent carbon credits industry.
Thirty-five delegates attended, bringing together their expertise on all the major components needed to design, build, audit, implement, and manage these multi-faceted projects in the region. The main focus of the event was to unpack the intricacies of carbon baselines that are needed for the successful validation of a carbon project methodology.
Below are some photos taken during the event. If you’re interested in learning more about Hive Ecosystems, contact the team Managing Director using the button at the bottom of the page.
Understanding the process for earning Carbon Credits from restoring land and planting indigenous vegetation
In field discussions considering various sites in different stages of degradation
Living Lands and Husqvarna sponsored, and cooked, the traditional dinners on Friday (Potjie Kos) and Saturday (Braai) respectively
Breakfast was sponsored by Imperative
